Friday, 14 June 2013

Fun-with-Evidence Friday: Science works, b!t3^&s!

Spotted this great t-shirt in Berkeley, California. Evidently the creator made this to summarize his doctoral research: Science: It Works, B!t3^&s.

What does "clinically studied" mean? (A cynic might interpret that as "research funds were spent"). I happened to see GNC's Mega Men Sport multivitamin, labeled as a "Clinically Studied Multivitamin^". Labels are small, so detailed findings can't appear on the front of a consumer package. But I wondered about the meaning in this context. Here's what the product page says.

"Lutemax 2020™^In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 112 healthy volunteers, subjects taking the GNC vitamin and mineral blend in this product for six weeks experienced statistically significant improvements in markers of B vitamin and antioxidant status, as well as improvements in SF-36 Vitality and Mental Health scores compared to those taking a placebo."